Published Daily  

Basketball from a fans perspective

I continue to ask the same question

On another social media platform I posed the question. The latest AP, Coaches and CBS Top 25 poll place Mizzou 20 in all three polls. The question was asked by me again, does this glorified “beauty contest” serve any real purpose? The first Monday in April is a truer test, late in the evening an NCAA basketball champion will be crowned. A friend said, “Yes it does matter, after so many years of the program being down, it’s nice to see Mizzou listed among the best in the nation.” Second to that I wonder if high school prospects pay any attention to the polls? If they do it could aid in attracting talent to that particular institution.

“The ship be sinking”

Those were the immortal words of former Knicks guard Michael Ray Richardson. His statement was made in 1981 after the Knicks suffering a losing streak of four consecutive games. We might have a case of history repeating itself to a degree however this time it a team from the west coast, the Clippers. The Clippers are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, the latest a 112-108 match against the Hawks. What’s wrong with the team many had pegged as potential 2023 NBA champions? Injuries to Paul George and others plus load management for Kawhi Leonard and rotation issues.

Without the two being in the lineup consistently the Clippers are an average NBA team. In an attempt to address issues he saw Tyronn Lue shook up his starting lineup however on Sunday night it failed to make much of a difference. As this is written the Clippers have a .500 record 21 wins and 21 losses. Many state “We have a half of season of play remaining” which is certainly true. The Clippers have ample time to finish the season successfully. My question surrounds the durability and the power to avoid injury and not the talent of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. We shall see what eventually prevails for the Clippers for the balance of the season.

The numbers

After the Saturday win against a tough Vanderbilt team I thought I’d toss a few numbers in your direction. Mizzou is tied for third in the nation in scoring, they are 6 in assists.

87.1 scoring points per game tied 3

19.1 assists per game 6

75.1 points allowed

31.9 rebounds tied 407

The numbers clearly indicate Mizzou is on the right track except for one. The rebound per game total provides us an indication of a key problem, lack of rebounds. Can Mizzou’s smallish front line manage to improve from here on out, yes, they can however change is necessary? What’s most important, boxing out the opposition or all five guys crashing the boards? Actually both are equally important however coaches claim it’s better to go get the ball.

One other note connected with the basketball program, it’s clear Gary Parrish of CBS Sports is impressed with Mizzou and Dennis Gates. He was the first to my knowledge to move Mizzou into the Top 25, in addition this part is stunning. Parrish claims Gates should be under consideration for head coach at the University of Texas. Certainly the expectations for the coach are outstanding despite the fact Gates has less than a full season at the helm. Depending on the outcome of the season Gates might find his name on more than one list as a potential head coach. We must return to the days of Mike Anderson to remember when reports of this type cropped up regarding a Mizzou coach.

Why not…but I’m only a fan

I read this statement a long time ago, “Give me a place to stand and I can move the world.” Those were the words of Archimedes ancient Greek, philosopher just one of the many “hats” he wore. I could easily see those words used by center Thomas Bryant. Laker Nation is not going to confuse Bryant with Wilt, Kareem or Shaq at the 5. Let’s travel back to last season prior to Bryant’s arrival, this is the brief Andre Drummond story. Anthony Davis made it known Drummond made it difficult for him to operate in his usual space. Fast forward to the present and Darvin Ham moves a reluctant AD to the 5 and then another   injury.

Forced to the sidelines once again and we see Thomas Bryant enter the lineup in his place. It’s been too many years but somehow the Lakers “lost” the 6 foot 10 Bryant to the Wizards where he was able to play successfully. Free agent Bryant signed with the Lakers over the summer but played little with AD in front of him on the depth chart. If you check his stats, they appear pedestrian however it’s my view there is more to his game oversimplify scoring. There are two hopes on my part, I hope when AD returns from the injury list Bryant remains in the lineup. I hope AD and Bryant can work in the lineup together and continue to move the Lakers on a continued upward trend and provide the defense and scoring so vital for the team. I cannot speak to the defensive side of Bryant, but 29 points and 14 rebounds is outstanding in my book. Get this, according to Lakers Nation website in this most recent game Bryant became the first Laker since Shaq to score that number of points and rebounds while shooting 85% or better from the floor.

An update 

This past Saturday afternoon Emoni Bates game was on display once again. He would lead the way as Eastern Michigan beat one of their in-state rivals Central Michigan 62-56. The slender guard/forward registered a double-double with 26 points along with 10 rebounds. As you can note by the final score Bates didn’t receive a great deal of help from his Eagle teammates, they would only score 28 points. To no surprise you’d understand why Bates leads the team in scoring. He’s scoring at a 20.7 points a game along with 6 rebounds, for the season Bates is shooting .438% from the floor and .364% from the 3pt line. His field goal percentage plus 74% from the free-throw line could certainly be improved. I believe the NBA is clearly in his future, but the question remains will he be a legitimate star?